Published 6:30 am, Tuesday, January 30, 2007

Brad Davis, front left, and Kelly Gray lead teammates in a warmup drill during Monday's practice.

Brad Davis, front left, and Kelly Gray lead teammates in a warmup drill during Monday's practice.

Photo: TIM JOHNSON, FOR THE CHRONICLE

Dynamo kick off training camp at UH

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They looked a bit rusty, but sported a more mature and measured look.

And those were just the new uniforms.

But the same could be said about the Dynamo, who kicked off training camp Monday less than three months after winning a Major League Soccer title in their inaugural season.

Just as their workout clothes had a new look — with a little more powder blue and black, and with the bright orange replaced by a tamer shade (somewhere in between burnt orange and the color of rust) — returning players' faces reflected none of the uncertainty surrounding their first camp in Houston last season.

"It's a lot different this time," midfielder Dwayne De Rosario said. "Last year we came and didn't know what to expect, different name changes and all that stuff. This year is really steady. It was a great way to kick off our season."

Less than a year after opening the preseason as the Houston 1836 in an unfamiliar city after being uprooted from California, the Dynamo stepped onto the field at the University of Houston's Carl Lewis track complex with the swagger and the optimism only a defending champion possesses and a comfort level only home provides.

"The mood was excellent. I think the locker room was a happy place to catch up (because) we hadn't seen each other for a while," coach Dominic Kinnear said. "I told them, 'Hey by the way, we never talked after the game, so congratulations.' "

Then it was straight to the field. With a rookie class that stands at eight (including USL goalkeeper Jordan James), the Dynamo practiced for a little more than an hour, concentrating on fitness and passing drills, before calling it a day.

"The energy was good," Kinnear said. "The first day they're raring to go, but you don't want to kill them."

Kinnear realizes he doesn't have much time until the team's first test Feb. 21 at Puntarenas, Costa Rica, in what will be the Dynamo's international debut in a CONCACAF Champions' Cup quarterfinal.

"I think the buildup over these three weeks prior to the game against Puntarenas is important, but still we have to make sure the buildup is good," Kinnear said. "We can't go out and get it done in one day."

Because the Dynamo and D.C. United are playing in the Champions' Cup, MLS granted them permission to start camp earlier than the rest of the league, which begins preseason Saturday.

The sense of urgency is in the players' minds as well. They found out Monday they're one of six MLS clubs with a direct berth in the U.S. Open Cup, bringing the number of competitions in which they will participate to four — including the regular season and the SuperLiga tournament.

"This year is going to be very stressful and very demanding, and I'm looking forward to it," De Rosario said.

But nothing could shake the players' confidence Monday.

"It feels good to get back, especially after the kind of season we had last year," forward Brian Ching said. "Our goal is once again to win the whole thing (MLS Cup). We know it's going to be hard, but I believe we have the right people to do it."

Now, about those uniforms ...

"They're nice. It's a different training (gear)," De Rosario said. "I feel like a champion now."